[It is now 0700.]
‘Damn I barely slept…I feel fine, but a good night is important! Or at least’s that’s what my mom used to pester me about…anyway, we need to actually come up with a real plan. I have a few ideas, and we’ve talked about a couple things here and there, but no actual plan as of yet. We’re waiting for the Goblins to come back with information on the Orcs, but we should still be able to do something about the tribes at the moment no?
‘The sooner I can move them back home, the sooner they all will be safe. Though I don’t think I can go back myself anytime soon. I need to be here, and we need to get started on a small outpost that’s closer to the Plains. Maybe about two weeks of travel from here? What do you think?’
[That sounds logical, though I highly recommend conferring with Rogu. He introduced himself as a General and thus should theoretically be well versed in military strategy.]
‘Hm, that’s actually a good idea Velora, you’re on a roll lately…now let’s see, do you think he’s awake? He’s just leaning against that tree with his eyes closed. Geedi’s awake with a few of the guards, and that Loruk guy is also awake. Should I let them sleep some more? Hmm, how about a small test? Well not an actual test, just a feeler to see who else is awake. Yeah, let’s do it.’
“Good morning Geedi, and good morning to anyone else who is awake.”
“Good morning Chief, were you able to rest well?”
“Yeah, it was good enough thank you. Yourself?”
“Good as well, thank you Chief.”
If someone looked at the scene, maybe someone would wonder why Rick wasn’t greeting the rest of his Royal Guards, but it was something they themselves decided to do. They believed they had to earn the right to talk to Rick, because they were his guards, but they were weak. He was on Tier 4, but only one of them stood on Tier 3 at the moment and it was Geedi. Even Geedi herself has been limiting her speech as much as possible. She finally made it Tier 3, yet she still couldn’t use any magic at all.
Despite the fact the Kida assured her that she was making progress, it was still hard for her to accept being weak. Of course, that thought kind of cemented itself further when Rogu showed up. She couldn’t sense him approach at all, and she instinctively knew neither her nor her guards were a match for him, that was already bad by itself, but then the rest of his team showed up and they were all stronger too.
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She couldn’t help but feel extremely inferior. Thus, although she wanted to talk to Rick a lot more than what she was currently doing, it was a punishment and motivation to grow stronger by having a limit on conversation. Of course this was all communicated to Rick, and he just kind of went along with it, but it was still hard on them.
Now while was dealing with her inner dilemma, Rogu who hadn’t slept a bit the entire night, was dealing with one of his own. He didn’t understand the ‘Good Morning’ phrase used by Rick.
He knew that it was morning, but the good part didn’t make sense to him. Did something happen that he wasn’t aware of? But he was awake all night and paid attention to every single rustle in the bushes. So, what was it? He noticed that Geedi seemed to understand what Rick meant, which brought him more confusion. These types of thoughts flashed through his mind at blistering speed before he finally decided to ‘wake up’ and ask Rick a question.
“My Lord…this ‘Good Morning’, what does it mean?”
‘Oh, would you look at that. They don’t say good morning back in the clans.’
“It just a greeting used in the morning. No real special meaning behind it, just a greeting.”
“I see, then, Good Morning to you as well My Lord.”
The other members of the Royal Retrieval who were still ‘sleeping’, quickly ‘woke up’, and gave their series of Good Mornings as well. Rick didn’t know it yet, but he just sparked another revolution for Goblin Kind. Centered around saying good morning…
“Now Rogu, I’m glad you’re awake. You mentioned you were a General. Are you experienced in fighting large battles and coming up with tactics?”
Rogu seemed to perk up at the mention of his title before responding.
“Of course, My Lord! I have led many grueling battles in both attack and defense against the dark creatures of Mir many times.”
‘Wait what, the dark creatures of Mir? Doesn’t that sound scary Velora?’
[Perhaps, but this is not the time.]
‘I know your scared, no need to hide it, but your right.’
“Erm, I see. Then what do you recommend we do about the tribes? My current plan is to have all of them evacuate back to my village, but I would like to build an Outpost close to the plains so that we can still maintain a presence here so that we’re better equipped to fight the Orcs without everyone having to travel two months to get to and from the plains and the village.”
Rogu paused for a moment to consider the words from Rick and then responded.
“My Lord, it would depend on a few things. Do you want to expand into the plains? Or are you simply building the Outpost for Goblins to stay temporarily? That answer is important. If you’re planning on expanding, then this Outpost will need to be strong enough to withstand sieges and large enough to house a large number of warriors and support. If it is a temporary building, then something easily taken apart and sabotaged would be best. We would not want to build a sturdy building just for our enemies to move in after we leave. There are a few other things to consider but that’s the main point. Do you want to expand into the plains? The answer to that question will determine a lot about how we move forward My Lord.”
‘Do I want to expand in the plains huh…’